Ian Lawton, Nettlestone:

I write, troubled, angry and saddened in reference to the news reporting that Oakfield Primary faces potential closure.

My step-son is a student there. Having been managed out of his previous primary school due to his neurodiversity he is now, in complete contrast, thriving and happy at Oakfield based on the fact that, as a school, they are so much better able and willing to meet his needs.

So, I have to ask, why Oakfield?

The report mentions two years of Ofsted results stating that Oakfield “Requires Improvement”.

It is also my understanding that due to their greater percentage of neurodiverse children attending Oakfield that this has counted against them in regards to the scoring of said results.

I find this, quite frankly, disgusting that, in this modern age and, despite the Equality and Disability Acts prevalent throughout our society that this is allowed to happen.

Oakfield is situated within a heavily populated area of Ryde, an area that, unfortunately, does contain a large proportion of families less affluent than others.

This is reflected in the amount of children qualifying for free school meals at the school. 45.1 per cent of all pupils at Oakfield meet the criteria to receive this.

This is in comparison with: Nettlestone - 12.8 per cent, Wootton Community - 13.4 per cent, Binstead - 14.1 per cent, St Mary’s - 15.7 per cent, St Helens - 18.1 per cent, Haylands - 27.8 per cent, Greenmount - 30.3 per cent and Dover Park at 35.3 per cent.

For the children from this area to have to attend different schools, transportation would have to be considered.

Currently Bus Freedom tickets cost an adult £31 a week. A child over five years of age is £17 a week.

One low income parent, trying to take two children to school without having to walk miles could potentially face having to find an extra £65 a week!

Oakfield, as a site, was refurbished in 2017 with 14 purpose built classrooms.

It also has extensive nursery and wrap around care easily facilitating struggling families to look for, gain and maintain employment.

The proposal in the report suggested that Oakfield’s pupils be transferred into both Greenmount and St Mary's. Greenmount and St Marys currently have 111 spaces available. Oakfield has 235 pupils.

This leaves a shortfall of 124 students. I have heard that, as a solution to this, Portakabins could be located on the Greenmount site. Portakabins. When Oakfield is purpose built.

To summarise, the solution proposed is to locate 235 children, 45 per cent of whom are neurodiverse and adverse to change.

To take them away from a school, purpose built for their needs and potentially put them in Portakabins far away from where they live, potentially incurring greater cost on families that are already struggling financially.

I have to wonder, was logic and compassion involved in this decision making or was it purely down to ill thought cost cutting measures?